The Magician's Turnabout
by TheGreatJudgini
Summary: Set after the events of Dual Destinies, the Wright Anything Agency is just beginning to get back into the normal swing of things. However, one event threatens to tear the Agency apart. For good. Using his wit and intelligence, Apollo Justice must face the most difficult challenge he's ever had to overcome. Spoilers for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and Dual Destinies.
1. Chapter 1- The Memories

**January 14, 2028 - 5:25 PM**

**Wright Anything Agency**

"Pooooooooolly! Wake up!"

The belligerent noise jolted Apollo Justice off of the couch and to the floor. Rubbing his eyes, Apollo slowly rose off of the ground and turned to face whatever intrusion awoke him from his nap.

"Urgh...Trucy, do you know what time it is? Even I've gotta get my beauty sleep."

Trucy Wright pouted at Apollo, irritated at his laziness. How could someone just lie on the couch so impetuously, especially on her special day?

"Up and at 'em, Polly! You've been lying here ever since we've gotten back from Eldoon's Noodles! You're lucky Daddy went to run errands with Athena, or he would have cut your salary by now!"

(_Oh yeah, wouldn't want my tiny salary to get even tinier._)

His mind went to Athena, who so eagerly wanted to prove her worth at the Agency, even by going along to get groceries for the Wright family. Despite only joining the Wright Anything Agency in July, the zealous, young attorney had time and time again shown her ability to turn around a case at the drop of a hat- one of the key tenants of lawyering taught by her mentor, Phoenix Wright.

(_Heh...Athena and I have certainly gone through a lot together._)

Suddenly, memories of the month prior began flooding his mind. The bombing of the courtroom, accusing Athena of murder, and the death of Clay Terran.

Clay...Apollo's best friend killed in a flash. The two of them were so close, yet Clay was taken away from him so unfairly. That's what it was. Unfair. Unfair that he was the one who had to die. Unfair that Apollo was forced to live life without him.

His fingers clenched together to form fists. Unable to keep a firm footing on the ground, Apollo moved to the couch and sat down.

"Polly...?" Trucy noted his slouched posture and immediately knew that there was something wrong. "What's going on? Are you okay?" She cautiously moved to sit next to him on the couch as an attempt to comfort him.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you, it's just..." He slowly turned to look at her. "He was my best friend, Trucy."

She let in a small gasp, hoping it was silent enough so that Apollo wouldn't notice. It wasn't an incident she knew all the details of, but Trucy knew quite well that Clay had been murdered. The incident made a lasting impression on Trucy, which was why it wasn't exactly something she wanted to share with anyone else. Because Trucy knew what it was like to lose someone close to her.

Because she had lost her mother and father.

* * *

Trucy Enigmar hadn't always felt like a burden.

At first, life seemed like a fairy tale. Though she was too young to realize what was going on, she could tell that her doting mother and father loved her very much. They were the perfect parents, and at times almost seemed like superheroes. It was like they were impervious to danger. At least, that was what she _thought_.

Because when Trucy was five years old, something horrific happened.

It seemed like an ordinary day at the house. Her father, Shadi Enigmar, was out working leaving her mother, Thalassa Gramarye, to take care of Trucy until he returned. Trucy had always admired Thalassa because she always seemed to know what was troubling her loving daughter at any given moment. Whether she was hungry or thirsty, Thalassa was there to satiate her needs instantly, providing her with affection- something that deeply satisfied four-year old Trucy.

Soon enough, Shadi returned home with a gargantuan grin wrapped around his face.

Trucy immediately abandoned the toy car she was playing with and bolted towards her father, gripping his legs in an embrace.

"Daddy's home, daddy's home! I missed you!"

Thalassa was not nearly as excited to see him, as evidenced by her look of shock. Because to her, that grin could only mean one thing.

"So...they've decided to go through with it, despite my protests."

Shadi lightly released Trucy's grip on him and pulled her aside, whispering in her ear. "I missed you too, Trucy. But right now, Mommy and I need to talk for a little bit, okay? I promise, after that I can play with you."

"Aww." Trucy crossed her arms and pouted in mock defiance. "Fine! But I'm making you play extra long this time!"

"Ha ha ha! Who am I to refuse my darling daughter?" He tousled her hair gently and she giggled, loving the attention. Finally, she ran off towards the hallway that led to her room.

The instant Trucy left the room, Shadi's grin transformed into a sour frown. He turned to face his wife and slowly stepped towards her.

"Of course we're going through with it. Do you understand what this could mean for the Troupe? The amount of fame we receive will rival Houdini!"

Thalassa's fingers interlocked and her face turned away from her husband. "I understand that. But does any amount of fame matter if I am harmed? Did you three bother to take that into account?"

"To even suggest that we did not is ludicrous. But we are all professionals! There is no chance that-"

"There is always a chance!" Thalassa's voice raised to a scream. Shadi stopped mid-sentence, shocked at his wife's audacity. "You and Valant will be firing from real weapons, yes? And you will be using real bullets? Then there is a risk that I could be hurt...or even...!"

The tense silence hung in the room for some time. From the very conception of this trick, Thalassa had been against the notion that she would be fired at from both Shadi and his partner in Troupe Gramarye, Valant. Shadi had gone to confer with both him, and Thalassa's father, Magnifi Gramarye to discuss whether or not the trick would be performed. She had been told not to go.

"It is because of my father's foolish pride that I was not allowed to go with you. He knew I would not agree to this! He needs to understand that my life is worth more than a silly trick! My father-"

"Your father is a _genius_! A master of illusions! If I had not trained to become his disciple, I would have nothing! Not you, not Trucy! My mentor is the best thing that has happened to my life. Had he not tutored me, I would have never met you, Thalassa."

Her left hand rose to cover her agape mouth. Suddenly, her breathing quickened and her chest heaved, all composure collapsing in on itself.

"Shadi...I-I...!"

Thalassa fell into his arms. The very thought that she could die caused tears to escape her eyes as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"Thalassa. I guarantee that I will protect you, my love. You have my word."

Thus, the magic trick continued as planned. However, it was never performed in front of an audience. During a rehearsal, Shadi, Valant, and Thalassa moved into position. The two men fired their pistols, and Thalassa was critically wounded. Magnifi immediately informed the two to speak of the incident to no one.

The evening ended in tragedy. Trucy never saw her Mommy again.

Shadi was forced to create an excuse as to why Thalassa had suddenly disappeared from their lives, but as Trucy got older, she slowly began to perceive the truth through her father's mannerisms. Though he initially began to grow closer to his daughter as a means of coping with the situation, Shadi soon resorted to practicing magic more and more fervently in order to never cause a severe mistake again, making Trucy an afterthought. As a result, she often went to bed in tears craving affection, and Shadi either didn't notice, or didn't care.

It was during one of these nights that seven year-old Trucy made up her mind: she would begin practicing magic in order to have her father notice her again.

The Internet held many secrets about a variety of magic tricks, but the budding magician knew she had to start small and work her way up. Painstakingly, she searched over and over for easy tricks to practice: card tricks, bending spoons, magically having her stuffed animal rabbit appear in her father's top hat.

Soon enough, Trucy came to Shadi and presented him with what she had learned by creating a magic show of her own. Fascinated that his daughter had learned many tricks at such a young age, Shadi immediately applauded her efforts.

"Ah ha ha! That was absolutely mesmerizing! Kid, you've got the potential to become one of the greatest young magicians of our time!"

As expected, she was showered in adoration. Shadi's attention turned back towards his daughter, as he frantically worked to fulfill his promise of making Trucy one of the youngest magicians to ever grace the stage. Though it took some time, he stitched together a child-sized costume, a red cape to model his own, and a silk hat. Finally, someone could carry on the family name and join the most elite magicians in the world; Troupe Gramarye would always be the greatest!

Or so he thought.

For just one year later, Magnifi Gramarye, the leader of the Troupe, was dying. And on one fateful April day, Shadi received a letter in the mail that entailed a preposterous request.

_To my beloved student, Zak._

_To you I entrust the task of lowering my life's curtain. Come on the 13th, 11:05 PM. I will ready a gun with which you will shoot, one shot, square in the forehead. You cannot refuse, and we both know the reason why. _

_Magnifi Gramarye_

And so it was. He was tasked with the ludicrous notion of putting his mentor out of his misery.

But when he arrived in the cramped hospital room...he could not pull himself to do so. Rather, he shot the forehead of a clown doll placed on a machine to Magnifi's right. To Shadi's surprise, Magnifi congratulated him; he had passed the "test."

Shadi was informed that Valant had also been called at a later time to perform the same task for a specific reason. Due to Magnifi's death, his magic and the rights to it would disappear forever. However, he wanted to give each of his disciples a chance at these rights through a test: If the man were to shoot the clown's forehead, they would have passed. If the man instead chose to shoot Magnifi himself, the rights would disappear forever. Shadi came to the realization that he was called first because Magnifi had trusted him moreso than Valant and thus offered him the first chance at these rights. Shadi strode out of the room, complacent that he had won the rights to practice some of the greatest tricks in the country, no, the world!

The next day, he was in prison.

Magnifi had passed away, though it was not due to natural causes.

He was shot, square in the forehead.

_"I will ready a gun with which you will shoot, one shot, square in the forehead."_

Shadi had been astutely aware that Valant also visited the hospital room and knew that he had to be the true culprit. He could no longer face the man that had betrayed and framed him for this crime, lest hatred rise in his heart. Enraged, he devised one final magic show, that would take place in the district courthouse his trial would be held in. This final act would leave Valant behind forever, allowing Shadi to walk away from this crime scot-free.

**April 19, 2019 - 9:10 AM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 2**

"Are you ready, my dear Trucy?" Shadi stood, beaming at his daughter.

"Of course, Daddy! I just know I'm gonna impress you today!"

Today was the day. The day Trucy would perform in her first magic show.

Shadi knew that what he was about to do was despicable. But his mind returned to Valant, and he truly believed that it was justified. Revenge had to be taken.

"Um, but can we practice before we do it, Daddy? I-I'm a little nervous."

"Ha ha ha! You know these nasty old guards won't let me walk freely around the courtroom. But do you remember how you entered this room?"

Trucy struck a pose with her hands firmly on her hips, imitating her father. "Ha ha ha! Of course I do, Daddy! I entered through the doors!"

Though he was usually jovial, Shadi looked displeased with his daughter. "Yes, Trucy. But it is vital that you understand that you must come back to this room. Look for the plate on the door. It has a two on it, remember?"

"And I have to use Mr. Hat, right?"

"Mr. Hat" was fashioned onto the back of Trucy's costume, hidden by her cape. On command, a cloaked, adult-sized wooden figure could appear and speak whenever Trucy willed it to.

"That's right. You need to use it and run right back to this room! That's all! And if you do that you can impress the bailiff with your magical powers!"

"Hee hee. You really think so, Daddy?"

Shadi bent down on his knee to bring his face to his daughter's level. "Of course I do. Keep watch from the gallery upstairs, and when you see that flash of light, run back to this room with Mr. Hat."

He couldn't bring himself to say anything more. Looking her in the eyes knowing what he was about to do was near impossible.

In the next moment, the then 26 year-old Phoenix Wright entered the room. Having been appointed to Shadi's case only a day before, he was feeling less than prepared. Nevertheless, the trial proceeded as such, with Wright defending to the best of his ability.

Unbeknownst to him, Wright had acquired a piece of forged evidence that he had presented in court not knowing that fact. To Shadi, it merely gave him more reason to flee the trial. In order to interrupt the verdict, Shadi ran out of the courtroom and put his plan in motion. Naively, Trucy assisted in his disappearing act and while Trucy distracted the court bailiff, Shadi had gone without a trace.

"Daddy! I did it! I did exactly what you said!" Her ever-widening smile displayed her clear sense of accomplishment as she ran around the courthouse, searching for her father.

But he would not be found. For seven long years, he would not be found.

Disbarred and disgraced ex-attorney Phoenix Wright chose to take Trucy in as his own because she had no one left to care for her.

Trucy did not take it well. Though she emanated a sense of joy that she always showed to her new Daddy, her mental state was collapsing in on itself.

(_Why did Daddy have to leave me...? Is it my fault? Did I not do a good job? I should have practiced more! If I had done that, he never would have left!)_

Trucy's self deprecation continued well into her teenage years, and although the passage of time healed her wounds to an extent, their scars were ever present.

* * *

Trucy Wright's brief hesitation was enough to catch Apollo's notice.

_(My bracelet's tightening...)_

On Apollo's left wrist bore an unordinary bracelet that was built out of a special alloy. This enabled the bracelet to fit perfectly on his arm. However, Apollo could detect the nervous tension pent up inside of a person, which caused his bracelet to shrink as a result.

"Trucy, when I told you about Clay, my bracelet tightened."

"...What?" There it was again. Just the slightest of hesitations.

"Trucy, if there's something on your mind...you know you can tell me. Right?"

She was stunned. Was he really trying to perceive _her_? She had to divert the seriousness from this conversation. Letting her guard down around Apollo was something she could not do.

"Well you know what they say, Polly!" She bounced off of the couch and looked down towards him, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "Dwell too much on the past, and you're sure to come in last!"

(_I have never heard that in my life.) _

"You're thinking about the past?"

Trucy's left hand rose to cover her mouth in surprise. "Ah!" How could she have been so stupid?!

"Apollo...I didn't mean to try and hide things from you. B-but..." She struggled to keep herself from tearing up. She had to keep it together. "I was thinking about my parents. Well, my dad really. And how...he abandoned me."

Apollo was taken aback. Seeing such a vulnerable side of Trucy was rare. Had she always been hiding behind this wall to keep her true emotions bottled up?

"Hey, you don't need to stress, Trucy." He slowly got up off of the couch and embraced her in a hug. "You haven't been abandoned. You've still got us. Me, Mr. Wright, Athena...we're all here for you. You'll never be abandoned again. Not while we're here."

Though he didn't know it yet, that would be one promise that he wouldn't be able to keep.

* * *

**Hello there! It's me, the author! This is my first time writing a fanfic, and I'm a little nervous. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve, and thus, feedback is always appreciated.**

**This serves as the first chapter, but more importantly fleshes out previous backstory and puts it in the perspective of another character: Trucy. I felt that she didn't get enough exposure in Dual Destinies, so I'm developing a story that will largely focus around her. **

**That being said, I'm excited to develop this story and see what you all think of it! Like I said, any and all feedback is helpful to me as a writer. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with deadlines, so I don't like to set them at all. I'll try to keep updating on a timely basis, but please don't be too disappointed if it takes me awhile to reconfigure certain story elements or such.**

**Well then! I hope you enjoy what is The Magician's Turnabout!**


	2. Chapter 2- The Preparation

**January 14, 5:30 PM**

**Wright Anything Agency**

The sound of stomping feet took Apollo by surprise, but the source of this odd noise became immediately clear.

"Heh heh! You snooze, you lose, Boss! ...Hey, what's taking you so long?! Those stairs are nothing! Come on, rápido!"

_(I'd recognize that multilingualism anywhere...)_

Athena barged into the office, drenched with sweat. Though her back was turned to Apollo and Trucy, the two didn't need to see her face to know that she was completely exhausted.

Trucy crossed her arms and glanced at Apollo. "You think she ran to the store and back?"

He returned her glance with a smirk of his own. "What tipped you off? I'm surprised she's still standing, let alone barking out orders to her own boss."

Athena hastily turned around to face the two, and an inquisitive look appeared on her face.

"Oh hey, Apollo! Didn't expect to see you and Trucy here!"

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, who would ever expect to find me here? It's not like I work in this very office or anything."

Trucy snidely poked Apollo's shoulder, vying for his attention.

"If you work here, you should really start pulling your own weight. You only get- what, one case every few months?" Her usual smile seemed to have returned quickly, as if the past five minutes disappeared altogether. This kind of optimism better suited Trucy...and it made it seem like the vulnerable, shaken girl was a completely different person altogether. As if on cue, Athena chimed in next.

"She's right, Apollo! If you want to start handling more cases, you've gotta get it together! Get out some more, enjoy the sunshine! Ooh! Or you could go for a run with me!" Athena's typical, snarky grin came into view. "But I'm warning you...if you don't keep up with my pace I'll leave you eating my dust!"

_(Somehow I think eating your dust would be better than dying.)_

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

A piercing scream tore through the office, reverberating throughout the walls. Slowly, the three coworkers stared at one another, hesitant to take action or locate the source of the shriek.

"APOLLO!" Athena's equally raised voice broke the tense silence that had hung in the air. "Come on! We've gotta take action and find out where that voice came from! It sounded like it came from nearby! Laten we gaan!"

_(I don't even RECOGNIZE that language!) _"Y-you're right!" Apollo's voice caught in his throat, with his tendency to panic rising. He scrambled to find some semblance of calm. _(Settle down, Justice! Think rationally! The voice has gotta be close by. Actually, it sounds like...)_

"Hey, Athena. Is the noise coming from the stairwell?"

For a moment, Athena contemplated this. "Could be." She began to fiddle with her crescent-shaped earring, which she often did as the thought. "But I don't see why anyone would just be hanging out around there, unless they were a client. Or..." An over exaggerated gasp escaped her lips and suddenly the inescapable truth slammed into her with the force of a brick wall. "Aaaah! I completely forgot about Boss!"

"What?!" Though her 'unique' ability to forget things at the drop of a hat was nothing new to Apollo, he was still shocked that she had completely abandoned Mr. Wright and left him to carry all of the grocery bags like some sort of mule. Frozen in her spot, Athena was just about the last person her boss would want to see right about now. Apollo cantered over and frantically waved his hands in her face to break her stupor. "W-Well don't just stand there! What if he's hurt? You need to help him!"

"Daddy's hurt?!" Trucy was the next to panic. "Don't worry! I'll call the ambulance!"

Apollo only stared at her, his face gleaming with pure disbelief. "Uh, I doubt it's that serious. Look, we all just need to calm down and help-"

Fists clenching, Athena began to shake with anger. "Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! Mr. Wright is out there and he needs our help! We can't just sit around and do nothing!" Her left hand came dangerously close to Apollo's face as she made a peace sign. Grinning, she screamed, "Let's go, team! Hurry up! Beeilung!"

_(Weren't YOU the one hesitating not five seconds ago?! Sheesh...it's like you're on a permanent mood swing.)_

And so, the team sprinted out of the office while Phoenix cried out for help in the stairwell. The haphazard group entered the hallway leading out of the agency quickly, and easily found their boss lying in a heap of dairy products, bread, meat, and cereal. Trucy ran to his side and knelt down to speak to him.

"Oh no! Daddy, are you okay?! Did you at least get my favorite cereal?!"

Phoenix lifted his resting head weakly towards his daughter and smiled.

"Good to see you too, Truce...I think I banged my head pretty hard when I fell down the steps though. Ngh..." He rubbed the back of his throbbing head, ruffling his spikes in the process. Athena hurriedly gripped the lapels on Phoenix's suit and shook him, only causing more pain in the process.

"O-Oh Boss...! I'm so sorry!" Tears formed in her eyes as she sobbed into Phoenix's shoulder. "I should have waited with you! This is all-" She heaved. "My!" Gasp. "Fault!"

Gradually, he propped himself up to a sitting position. "H-Hey, it's all right! Just be more careful next time. And besides, I've had worse before."

Trucy beamed. "Yeah! Hee hee. Remember when you were run over by a car?"

_(Seeing you say that with a smile on your face is...pretty creepy, to be honest.)_

Despite Apollo's lax reaction, Athena almost fell to the floor in shock. "YOU'VE BEEN RUN OVER BY A CAR?!"

Phoenix nodded. "What, you haven't?" He smiled in response to his own snark. "That was just another thing to add to the list of injuries, of course. I've eaten glass, been assaulted, shot with a taser, hit with a fire extinguisher, fallen off of a bridge..." He paused. Thinking in the group's best interest, he realized he probably shouldn't be speaking about his near death experiences too much, lest they all go into shock. "Ha ha. Those are all stories for another time, though. Hey, Apollo. You haven't had any work in a while. Why don't you help me carry these groceries back into the office?"

_(I'd prefer something that had to do with law...)_

Apollo sighed. "Okay, fine. But I'd like a case soon, you know."

Phoenix got up off the ground and laughed. "And I'd like a bottle of grape juice right about now, but you don't see me complaining."

(_You can drink your 'grape juice' on your own time!)_

Reluctantly, Apollo joined his boss and carried the groceries into the office while the two ladies followed behind. After setting the bags down on the table in front of the couch, Phoenix spoke up.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. Say..." He began to tap his chin with his left index finger.

_(Heh. He always does this when he's deep in thought.)_

"Something's been on my mind for a bit. What are you still doing here, Trucy?"

_(Uh, isn't she your daughter...kind of? Do you not want her anymore?)_

She shrugged with apathy. "Weeeeeeell, I _was_ going to go earlier and practice, but I couldn't let Polly get away with sneaking naps in!"

"Uh..." Apollo's voice squeaked out. "I really didn't mean to. It's just, the couch seemed so comfy at the time..." He gripped the spikes on his head and scratched them sheepishly. "Oh hey, and what did you mean about practicing? Do you have a show or something?"

"Apollo, you troll-o! Did you get amnesia again?!" Her hands moved to her hips.

_(It always happens at the worst of times...)_

Trucy sighed and shook her head. "Really, you're so unreliable. Don't you remember? Today's not the day for just any show, you know!"

The bewilderment she aspired to convey did not quite reach Apollo. "What, are you going to be using more than just your underwear this time?"

"Groooooooan. Pollllyyyy, you're killing me!" She mimed driving a stake directly into her heart...and she fell back onto the couch. "By the way, the word is _panties. _You're a big boy, you can say the word."

_(B-But it just makes me feel...so dirty.)_

Trucy jumped off of the couch and stood on the coffee table triumphantly, speaking in an over-exaggerated announcer's voice. Unfortunately, the poor groceries fell to the floor. "Behold! For in a mere..." She looked at the clock on the office's wall. "...hour and fifteen minutes I think, The Great, The Magnificent, The Wonderfully Cute Trucy Wright will once again revive some of the greatest tricks known to mankind!"

Apollo began to sweat nervously. "What...with your underwear?"

"Apollo, a bit of advice." Phoenix spoke up from his silence. "Referring to a girl's underwear when her father is in the room isn't the best idea."

"WH- But, I mean- I didn't mean it like...!"

Trucy jumped off of the table and landed directly in front of Apollo's increasingly moist face. "He's just. Teasing you. Sheesh, I didn't know you were so thick headed! Then again, your forehead is incredibly large..." She paused and then backed away from him. "But no, I'm not just going to be doing the Magic Panty routine tonight. Don't you remember?! I asked you to help me!"

_(You what...?)_

"...Oh! That's right! Today's the day where you finally put those rights you've earned to good use!"

Trucy reached into the heart-shaped, blue case strapped around her neck and pulled out a small, purple card. "About time you realized! All of the rights to Troupe Gramarye lie right here on this card! And I was lucky enough to become the sole heir! After some careful planning, if I do say so myself..." She flipped her hair to emphasize her point. "...I'm finally ready to bring back some of the most famous magic tricks of all time!"

Apollo brought his left index finger to the space between his eyebrows. "And you wanted my help with this, right?"

_(Now that she mentions it, I'm starting to remember that day in particular...the day she asked me to be a part of this entire affair.)_

_(Heh. And what a strange day it was.)_

* * *

**Three months prior...**

**October 26, 2027- 4:43 PM**

**Wright Anything Agency**

**Hallway**

_(Phew...what a tough day in court. Even though I wasn't the defense team leader, I felt as if my heart was gonna give out!)_

Just a few hours earlier, Athena had successfully led the charge to eliminate the false murder accusations against her closest childhood friend and companion. However, Apollo forcibly traveled back to the office alone, as Athena insisted in staying with her friend just a little bit longer. Perhaps they had wanted to catch up. It didn't matter to him, as truth be told, he was thankful for a bit of alone time after the hectic day in court.

The stairwell to the office seemed as long as ever, and Apollo's legs felt as if they would stop functioning altogether. Standing up for hours on end during court was harder than it looked. If anything, it helped build leg muscle, not that it mattered to him. Appealing to women was the last thing on his mind. Well...maybe not last. Second to last, probably. But no more than that.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, he continued his long and arduous journey down the hall to the office.

_(Every day it seems like these stairs get longer and longer. Ugh. Can't we get an elevator installed in this old dump?)_

All too suddenly, a bang rang out.

_(W-what was that?!)_

The sound was not an unfamiliar one to Apollo, what with him being a veteran of crime scenes.

It had to be a gunshot; there was no mistaking it.

The gunshot's location was immediately identified: The Wright Anything Agency.

_(What the...? Nobody's supposed to be in there! Athena's gone, and Trucy and Mr. Wright are both out to eat! Is there a-an...intruder?)_

He bolted to the office door, but fumbled with the key. In what seemed to be an incredibly onerous task, he finally unlocked the door and rushed in.

There she stood, gun in hand. Smoking. Trucy's right hand vibrated impulsively, and her mouth remained ajar. Clearly, she was appalled at what she had just done.

"T-Trucy, what did you DO?!" He asked this question, although it was immediately apparent as to what the answer was.

"I didn't mean to do anything! I promise! I was just...inspecting it and my finger happened to be on the trigger and I didn't mean to pull it, well I mean at first I didn't but then I got curious but I didn't know how LOUD it would be and my hands kind of hurt but wow that was fun can I do it again?" The words seemingly flowed from her mouth like a rapid-flowing river, and as she spoke the hand holding the gun frantically waved around, occasionally aiming directly at Apollo's head.

"Stop shaking that thing! You're gonna kill somebody, namely me!"

_(Calm down, Justice. There's a perfectly rational reason as to why a seventeen year-old girl has a gun pointed directly at your head. There has to be...right?)_

"Okay." It took all of Apollo's strength not to completely blow a gasket. Though he reminded himself, it was better that Trucy held a gun, and not a complete stranger that had broken into the office. He practiced breathing slowly to calm his ever-quaking nerves. "So I have a few... _tiny_ questions to ask you. One: Why do you currently have a gun? Two: Where did you get said gun? Three: Is there a logical reason as to why I should let you keep said gun? Four, why are you even here?! And five: Please get that gun away from my face."

"Aah! Sorry!" She gingerly set the gun down on the table in front of her, as if it would break at the slightest drop. "Well, to go in order... Um... I have a gun because I need it for my magic trick, I plead the fifth on where I got it, I need it plus you're nice so you'll let me keep it, and because I told Daddy I had a stomachache so he let me stay home while he shopped?" Trucy's smile was plastered all over her face, in an attempt to woo him over.

"Wait, so you're seriously going to perform a magic trick with a gun?! Mr. Wright can't be okay with that."

She stuck her tongue out. "Well he doesn't know that I practice throwing knives either, but that's besides the point." She tapped her finger to her chin. "Um...I plan on telling him soon. I just want to start practicing so I can impress him first! But...I think I just realized that I can't do this by myself." Her gaze turned to Apollo expectantly. "Aaand I think I just found the perfect volunteer!"

_(She can't be serious.)_

"Trucy, this isn't funny. If you're asking what I think you are, I don't think I can do it. It's just...too much to ask for."

"Oh come on! It's not that hard!" She began bouncing on the tips of her toes. "All you have to do is shoot me!"

_('All you have to do is shoot me!' She says with a smile.)_

"Why don't you hire someone more experienced? I'm sure there are magicians that would love to participate in Troupe Gramarye's revival!"

Trucy froze up, covering her arms in her cloak. Her face instantly became melancholy, her eyes hollow.

"I can't do that. Not this time."

_(W-why not?)_

"But there's no problem with that! They'd be better than me, that's for sure."

Trucy bounced back from her apparent mood swing quickly. "Well, what you lack in skill, you make up for with...uh..."

_(You really know how to knock a guy down a few pegs.)_

"Hee hee, don't worry! We'll find something that you're good at! At the very least, you can wear a costume! Now you know why I want you to do it!" She giggled at the sight of Apollo in magician's garb.

_(Still, I feel as if there's something you're not telling me...)_

"Ooookay!" Trucy hopped up and down rapidly. "Practice starts now! Let's go! We don't have time to waste!"

"W-wait, we start right now?!"

"Well, duh! If we're going to bring back Troupe Gramarye's greatest tricks, we can't wait forever! Here, let's take it slow first." She picked up the gun as if her life depended on it.

Suddenly, she panicked and dropped it as a result. The gun clanged to the floor uneventfully.

"Trucy! W-What are you doing?! You could hurt..." His voice trailed off upon noticing her facial expression. Her mouth seemingly remained paralyzed as she futilely attempted to gather her thoughts. Though some time passed, no words came to mind as she tried to explain her actions. Eventually, she spoke meekly.

"I'm sorry. I just remembered that...m-my mom was shot during a magic trick kind of like this one. And she died because of it. I'm over it for the most part, it just...she meant a lot to me. You know?"

Apollo reeled back in horror. That's right! How could he have forgotten? While doing research for another case, he had discovered this unequivocal fact. But then, why was Trucy so hellbent on performing this trick if she fully knew what the consequences of failure were?

"Hey...it's okay." He embraced her in a hug in an attempt to relieve her of her sorrow. It was as if that singular hug would suck all of her pain away, never to be seen again. "We don't have to do it if you don't want to. I get it."

"No, Polly." She let go of him lightly, and turned away to avoid his distinctive stare. "You don't get it. I just have to do this trick, because...I have to prove to my parents that I can do it. I have to show them that Trucy Wright can do what they couldn't!"

_(So that's what this is about.)_

"If that's really what you're after..." He bent down to pick up the gun off of the floor. "I'll help you. How can I say no when The Great Trucy Wright wants to prove herself?" He smiled, knowing it would quell her nerves.

"Really?!" Her shock seemed almost artificial, as if it was staged to be over exaggerated. "T-Then let's show them how it's done! Here, let me show you how you'll need to shoot the gun."

_(Heh. I can't believe I've been roped into this...)_

* * *

"Polllllyyyy! What are you doing?! Do you want us to be late?!"

"Oh, um...I'm just doing some last minute inspections."

There he was. In the bathroom, face down in the toilet inspecting it for any remaining germs or other lingering toilet-like particles. In truth, he was distracting himself because he knew he would have to change into his costume soon enough. Trucy looked less than pleased.

"You're cleaning the toilet?! NOW?! But the show starts in an hour!"

"Exactly. It only takes around 10 minutes to get there, so we should have plenty of time to do this." After gleaning over his accomplished work at the toilet, he then moved to the sink and turned on the water.

"No." She deftly removed her right glove, dipped her hand into the rising pool of water in the sink, and splashed Apollo's face with it. "You still need to change. Didn't think I'd forget that, didja?"

"Mmph...! Trucy! Why did you do that?! That was completely unnecessary and I'll have you know-" Completely ignoring him, Trucy sent another wave of water that saw its way onto his head. Realizing he probably had better things to do with his time than becoming drenched, Apollo complied. "Alright, alright! Enough already! I'll put on the stupid costume."

"Hee hee! That's a good boy." She shut off the faucet, and the flow of water came to a stop.

"Augh, I can't believe this..." He scratched the top of his head and came to a dreadful conclusion. "Wait a minute, my hair! You completely screwed up my hair!" Getting up half an hour early to do his hair in the morning proved to be a detriment to Apollo today.

"Awh, it's not so bad. Besides, you'll be wearing a hat during the performance, so nobody will notice your droopy spikes!" As if from nowhere, she whipped out a red silk hat, not unlike her blue one. "Here, I even had it made in your favorite color! Now go and put the rest on! You have to look the part during the show, silly! Kinda like looking official-like when you're busy being a lawyer!"

_(Except I don't recall having to shoot anyone in court.)_

"Ugh, fine. I'll be right back." He grabbed the silk hat and trudged to the back room, where his costume awaited.

_(I have to wear THIS?!)_

The red-tinged costume hung on a coat hanger in the closet. Fortunately for him, the costume seemed to be relatively comfortable, as well as form-fitting.

_(I'm not even going to ask how Trucy managed to get my measurements.)_

In fact, the costume had almost looked like a carbon copy to Trucy's, though it did allow him the luxury of sleeves. And some...slight modifications to make the costume more masculine in nature. He had to, as Trucy said, look the part after all. Though he could have sworn he heard snickering coming from outside the door. After putting on his new clothes, Apollo opened the door and was greeted by an oppressive flash of light.

"Augh!" He instinctively waved his hands around to defend himself from the source of light, and ended up smacking what felt like the face of a human female.

"OW! You jerk!" As expected, Athena was not very happy to have been slapped in the face. In her hands lay a camera that had no doubt taken a... 'unique' picture of Apollo as he was entering the main room of the Agency.

"H-Hey, give it here! You can't let anyone see that picture!" He desperately reached to grab the camera, but Athena was too fast and moved it out of his reach.

"What picture would that be?" Phoenix sauntered over, knowing full well what picture Athena took.

"Well! I'm glad you asked, Boss!" She quickly fingered through the photos already saved on the camera until she displayed the one she just took.

As Apollo thought, he looked ridiculous.

"Hey! That's not fair! I was surprised and everything!" Apollo pouted, not unlike how a small child would act in a similar situation.

"Now, now." Phoenix struggled to contain his laughter. "I'm sure Athena will erase the photo, but you'll have to take a NICE one. We have to have some evidence of this for… er, memories."

_(You couldn't be any more transparent if you were a pane of glass.)_

Apollo groaned. "Fine, fine. But just one. That's all you'll get."

"Ooh, ooh!" Trucy excitedly ran over to him. "I wanna be in it too! I have to commemorate Polly's first show!"

_(I can't believe I'm doing this.)_

Phoenix grinned seeing his daughter so energetic. "Ha ha ha. Okay, you two sit on the couch and Athena will take the picture."

"You got it, Boss!"

The two performers plopped on the couch while Phoenix and Athena moved opposite them.

"Alright you too!" Athena posed, ready to take the picture. "Say cheese!"

"Cheeeeeeeeese!" Trucy's beaming grin caught Apollo's notice out of the corner of his eye.

And just then, a queer thought came into his head.

_(I...think I might actually enjoy this.)_

Despite the dripping sarcasm oozing from his thoughts, Apollo had hope that maybe, just maybe, he would have fun being up there with Trucy. Sudden anxiety flooded into him, like a metaphorical dam had burst open. But it was a new anxiety, far different from when he stood in court defending clients. This type of anxiety was completely new.

It was a...good anxiety.

Apollo smiled, just in time for the camera's flash.

_(That's right. I'm gonna have fun! I'm actually going to have fun. If anything, for Trucy's sake.)_

However, later that night, there would be no fun to be had…

Only tragedy.

* * *

**Court Record**

**Evidence**

**Attorney's Badge: **Apollo's cherished attorney's badge. Just putting it on makes him feel…ready.

**Profiles**

**Apollo Justice (23): **A young lawyer who's been at the agency for almost two years. He has an amazing ability to spot lies through people's tells.

**Trucy Wright (16): **An aspiring young magician who Mr. Wright adopted when duty called. Set to revive the magic tricks that made Troupe Gramarye famous tonight.

**Phoenix Wright (34): **The head of the Wright Anything Agency. He was forcibly retired once, but made his return to the legal world a few months ago.

**Athena Cykes (18): **The latest lawyer to join the agency. She lived in Europe for a time, where she studied psychology. Likes to overact to situations.

* * *

**Hey there! Me again, back with the next chapter of The Magician's Turnabout! Sorry it took so long, but I'm very meticulous when it comes to details (which usually means I'll need to edit one chapter many, many times). I've also added a handy dandy Court Record to keep track of all the evidence Apollo finds on his adventure. Not that there will be a crime or anything. It's silly to think that.**

**Once summer comes around, I should have more time to dedicate to this, so look forward to speedier updates soon (hopefully). **

**Anyway, I look forward to getting your feedback, because it really helps me improve as a writer. See you when the next chapter is completed!**


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